Method of making fabric for corsets, bandeaux, brassieres, and the like



Feb. 15 1927- E. R. MlLLs ET AL METHOD OF MAKING FABRIC FOR 06mm, BANDEAUX, BRASSIERES, ANDTHE LIKE Filed June 25, 1924 Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

p UNITED STATES,

.i 1, 17,604 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST B. MILLS AND CARL J. HAZEIPTON, 0E WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING FAIBBIO'FOR CORSETS, :BANDEA'UX, BRAssIERns, AND THE 'Lnm.

Application filed June 25,

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing fabric for use in making elastic garments inthe nature of corsets, bandeaux, brassieros, and other articles for wearon the body or limbs where it is .de-

sired that a body of rubber-in the fabric shall surround a part of. the wearers body, especially for reducing purposes, but not necessarily limited thereto. It is especially designed -for those articles which are to, serve the double purpose of reduction and .perform the ordinary functions of such articles as above mentioned.

enough.

In the case of the fabrics which have been rubberized by placing a layer of rubber on one side or inside there is little or no elasticity and one ofthe most important functions of the rubber itself is entirely lost. It re tains odors also.

This invention is designed for the purpose of getting the full benefit of the rubber, both as a reducing agent and as an elastic agent, and vet providing such a strong article that it will wear as long as the ordinary nonelastic articles which have been on the market for many years. It also has a basis of textile material which permits of steels;

whalebones, and other stifi'ening elements being permanently attached thereto without weakening it along the lines of attachment. The textile material is so made that sufficient spaces or interstices are provided to ensure the presence of rubber all the way through as well as on the surface. One of the most important features of the invention is that, although the rubber in the goods is free to stretch, the extent of this stretch is limited. and therefore with a smaller amount of rubber, or rubber with less elasticity, all the elasticity that is necessary can be secured and yet the strength of the fabric is not decreased below that of the ordinary non-elastic fabrics which have been used. The fabric also is elastic in one direction only. This feature is very impor- 1924. Serial No. 122,390.

tant because in the manufacture of a corset or the like from this fabric it can be arranged to haveits direction of elasticity horizontal or circumferential and it can be stretched to any amount necessary without drawing it in at the top and bottom, and thus distort ing its shape. entirely non-elastic in a vertical direction a fabric originally produced of the desiredwidth will retain that width until the article is entirely worn out. In this way the shape of the original article is maintained, the necessary elasticity around the body is provided for, and the durability of the article. is as great as that of any article of this character. The invention also involves the article made from this fabric.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings. in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a corset constructed of fabric made in accordance with this inventionp Fig. 2 is a front view of a bandeau similarly made; I i

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic tranverse sectional view of a part of a machine for rubberiz ing the fabric after'it is woven: and

Fig. 4 is a magnified view of a fabric, before it is rubberized, especially suitable "for this purpose.

.The fabric'is woven, preferably of unbleached cotton. in the desired widths on looms which will weave elastic webbing but preferably providedwith a leno, or double Furthermore by having it leno attachment. This woven elastic webbing is made with warps having interspersed among them additional threads in the nature of Warp threads of elastic rubber. It is Woven with the rubber threads in a stretched condition,- and the warps of cotton, silk or other fibre are then necessarily contracted when the fabric has been produced and the strain is taken off the product so as to allow the rubber longitudinal threads to contract to substantially their natural length. The

weaving is very loose so as to form large Q Lemma and elastic rubber threads extend circumthat a tension of about 25% of the maximum elongation of the fabric-is a suitable amount. If a double leno fabric is'used it need be, put under only enough tension to hold it taut without wrinkling. The fabric f with covered or uncovered threads of rubber 1', preferably arranged in groups, is introduced 9 between two rolls 10 and passed from between these rolls over another roll 11. Masses of rubber dough in a heated s te are introduced between the rolls 10 and two other rolls 12 so as to be rolled out by the two pairs. of rolls, or latex is applied, and

- delivered on opposite sides of the fabric f these threads are entirely bare and thus be between the two rolls 10. These rolls are heated to the proper temperature for vul-' canization. The rubber is rolled through the interstices of the stretched fabric and simultaneously vulcanized. The rolls 10 are caused to press towards each other with a high degree of pressure to consolidate the rubber as it is applied to the fabric. The

result of this is to produce a rubberized' fabric having not merely a coating of rubber on both sides but entirely filled with rubber and having the single integral mass of rubber extending through to connect the rubber surfaces on both sides. It makes no dif ference in the completed fabric whether come entirely vulcanized to the other rubber and lost therein, or-whether they were originally wound with yarn and retain their identity. Their elasticity is substantially the same as the rubber R introduced. If it ;is desired to have a fabric with'a smoother surface on one side' an additional layer of rubber can be applied in a similar manner.

After the rubberized fabric is delivered from the machine it has the characteristic that it will stretch longitudinally in the same directionas the rubber threads 1*, but not transversely, because the weft threads 'of the woven fabric have not been contracted or displaced in any way, and they prevent any stretching in that direction. The elasticity in the longitudinal direction may not be as great as would be the elasticity of apure rubber sheet of the same grade of rubber, if the rubber is applied to the woven fabric while thelatter is in a stretched condition.

In either case the excessive elasticity of pure to rubbdr goods, which is a disadvantage, is overcome to the extent that may be necessary for the particular use to which the fabric is to be ut.

The fabric t us produced is used in the manufacture of corsets C as shown in Fig.

;1, bandeaux B as shown in Fig. 2, hose ing all the advantages of a pure rubber garment and yet it cannot be stretched out to such a point as to render it useless. and if the rubber does deteriorate from wear the rest of the garment holds together and performs its functions in a much better degree than is the case with an all rubber garment. At the same time the elasticity is maintained which has not been done in the case (if the rubberized fabrics heretofore used for sim- 99 ilar purposes. It can be washed off on both sides and thus kept in an odorless and sanitary condition.

Although we have illustrated and described only a small number of uses for 9 this product we are aware-of the fact that it is capable of a wide extension of uses, and that any person skilled in the art can vary the weaving and construction of the fabric without departing from the scope of the 100 invention as expressed in the claim. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited in these respects, but what we do claim is I The method of making an elasticfabric which consists in producing a loose textile fabric having elastic threads extending in one direction to give it elasticity in-that direction, stretching said fabric longitudinally to a degree materally less than its elastic limit, and applying rubber to the fabric and subjecting it to a high degree of pressure and temperature to vulcamze thev rubber in position on the fabric and through its i 4 In testimony whereof We have hereunto afiixed our signatures.

ERNEST R. MILLS. CARL J. HAZELTON. 

